I became active with the issue of chained dogs about a year ago, but the topic has been on my mind for quite a few years.  It all began with a dog named Caleb who was chained on a road I frequently used, and everyday I would notice his bushy chow coat from his porch on my way to swim practice.  Long before I became vegan or was concerned with animal's rights, I noticed that this was wrong and I always felt like there was a brick in my heart whenever I saw him chained up.  Though these feelings of sadness were deeply rooted, I never took the risky plunge of activism.  Last year when I became more aware of my love and care for animals' of all kinds, I decided that something had to be done for the forgotten backyard dogs.  I cannot stand to see the feelings of boredom or sadness in a dog who desires care and company, and I am further angered by the irresponsibility of the pet owners.  These practices further imbed the ideology that the welfare and rights of animals should be disregarded, and teaches future generations to flee from their responsibilities.  These cases also cause danger to our neighborhoods since a chained dog can become very territorial and severely injure whoever comes in their path.  I hope to make an impact on this societal problem by continuing to participate in the chain off every year and I hope that you will support me with your donations.  This year I'm raising the bar by traveling to Chicago to be a representative of the state of Indiana to participate in Dogs Deserve Better's nationwide event where I will be chained for 24 hours with 16 other people.  I know! Crazy! Your contributions make it all the worth while to do this and know that I truly appreciate every donation no matter how small!  Also, I encourage you to inform any of your friends or family members if they would have the slightest interest in donating.  Thanks a lot for making a difference in chained dogs, because no one deserves to live a life on a chain.